


Moxie

by ArchangelUnmei



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Alternate Universe - Burlesque Club, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop, Awkward Flirting, Banter, F/F, lots of teasing, many kinds of teasing, yes both those things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-28
Updated: 2018-03-05
Packaged: 2019-03-24 22:50:06
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,669
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13821111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArchangelUnmei/pseuds/ArchangelUnmei
Summary: Friends don't let friends work themselves to death when they can be dragged to burlesque clubs instead.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> My gift for De (symmbiotic) over on Tumblr for the NedCan Valentine's Exchange. I was so happy to get them because De's a friend of mine IRL and their prompts were the bomb. I ended up going with a burlesque AU, but as usual it's run away from me, the deadline is tomorrow and it's only like 1/3 done ahahaa....
> 
> That said, it'll be done very soon! I'm on vacation next week and it'll definitely get done, but I wanted to do the story justice and not rush the good bits. ;) Please be patient a little longer De, I'm so sorry.
> 
> Anke de Vries - Fem!Netherlands  
> Emma de Vries - Belgium  
> Madi Williams - Fem!Canada  
> Sonja Eiriksen - Fem!Norway  
> Karla Sorenson - Fem!Denmark  
> (More to come in chapter 2)

Anke de Vries was quite happy with the way her life was going, thank you.

Since graduating and officially taking control of her grandfather's flower shop, everything had settled into a satisfying routine. She got up in the morning, showered, made a cup of coffee and, if the weather was nice, drank it perched out on the balcony while she smoked. The second cup of coffee went into her travel mug, her cigarettes and lighter went into her shoulder bag, and then it was out the door. She walked her bike the half-block from her apartment to the cafe that her sister Emma ran with her girlfriend and picked up the cookie butter croissants that Emma always had waiting for her. Then she biked the rest of the way to the flower shop. 

It was a trip that usually took about twenty minutes, and Anke enjoyed it even in the rain. If she needed to change clothes once she got to the shop, she did. She was the only full-time employee, and sometimes Emma teased her about living at the shop more than she did her apartment. Anke didn't mind that either. She wasn't exactly a people person, but she enjoyed talking with customers about flowers; what they wanted versus what they needed, what she had in stock. 

That particular day, she was by herself until the afternoon. The morning was quiet and unremarkable, the weather outside a soft, misty gray that couldn't quite be called a drizzle. Anke tidied the shop in between helping the customers that came in, then perched herself on a stool behind the cash counter and pulled out her sketch book. 

When the bell over the door jingled, she called out a greeting but put a few more strokes of shading down before she looked up, trying to capture the proper curvature before the image faded from her mind. Setting her pencil down, Anke straightened and found herself blinking at a young woman about her own age. 

A _pretty_ young woman about her own age; soft blond hair tucked under a knit cap but left to curl around her shoulders, a red wool coat to ward off the day's damp, lovely dusky violet eyes behind flattering round glasses. 

Anke swallowed, realizing she was staring when the woman gave her a shy but knowing smile. "Uh. Welcome, what can I help you with?" 

The young woman's smile widened a little, weaving between the displays to come closer to the counter. Anke felt a little self-conscious, brushing her hands over her dusty jeans until she noticed that under the fashionable coat she was wearing well-worn hiking boots. "I need some flowers for a friend." 

"Birthday or anniversary?" 

The woman blinked, honestly surprised, and then laughed. It was a warm laugh, a little loud to be traditionally lady-like, and Anke was desperate to hear more of it. "Oh, oh neither. She's just a good friend, but she's been having a rough month, I just want to cheer her up a little." 

"Okay, we can do that," Anke tried to get a firm hold on her professionalism. No flirting with the customers was a very serious rule, even if that _was_ how Emma had gotten her girlfriend. Anke was not Emma, as no one ever let her forget. "I have pre-made bouquets and planters, or I could do something custom if you wanted. Did you have a price point? Or any specific flowers in mind?" 

"Maybe twenty bucks?" She gave a sheepish smile and a slight shrug. "Maybe a little more, I'm not sure what a good bouquet costs? And, I don't know, something besides roses?" 

"Twenty is fine, that'll get you something like this," Anke pointed out some of her smaller sample pieces, and the woman's face lit up. 

"That's perfect, it'll fit on her dressing table." 

"Something bright to cheer her up?" Anke suggested, reaching out to snag her order pad out from under her sketch book, which was still laying open on the counter. That drew the woman's eyes to it, and Anke had a sudden moment of panic. Was it unprofessional to leave half-finished drawings of naked women laying around in your own shop? 

Before she could manage to flip the sketch book closed, the woman had leaned over the counter to take a better look, her eyes lighting up in interest. "Oh wow, that's really good." 

"Thank you," Anke cleared her throat, well aware her cheeks were burning but trying hard to stay serious and not dissolve into an incoherant mess. There were _reasons_ she usually only drew when she was alone. She held up the order pad. "Your name?" 

"Madison Williams, but you can call me Madi," her smile was downright _wicked_ , and Anke thought she might melt into the floor. "Do you want my phone number too?" 

"...For the order!" Anke held up the pad like a shield after an embarrassingly long moment of blanking out. "So I can call you when it's done! Which will probably be later today, I don't have much going on right now." 

"So I see," Madi drawled, her eyes sliding back to the sketch book, and Anke wondered at which point she should just give up and hide in the back room until either Madi went away or Sonja showed up for her afternoon shift. "I don't mind waiting around, I don't have to be anywhere until tonight." 

"...Okay," Anke set the order pad down, clearing her throat again and trying to stop blushing through sheer force of will. It didn't help that Madi was _exactly_ her type; cute and snarky as hell. "Cheerful, right? How about tulips? I have some in from a local hot house that aren't too bad." 

"Tulips are good," Madi smiled again, and then Anke was able to retreat into the cooler to gather supplies and her wits. When she reemerged with her arms full of flowers, Madi had wandered over to browse a display of gardening books, content to wait. Anke snagged a small basket and a block of foam to arrange the flowers with, and for her part was content to work in silence, losing herself to fussing over the arrangement. 

(If she would have looked up, she would have noticed Madi peering at her over the top of the books more often than not. But Anke, as usual, got lost in the flowers and didn't look up.) 

Anke was almost satisfied with the arrangement, almost ready to call Madi back over to take a look, when the bell over the door jingled again. She and Madi both looked over, and Madi brightened visibly, setting the book she'd been perusing back on the shelf. 

"Sonja!" 

Anke blinked. _She_ knew Sonja, of course; Sonja worked at the flower shop part-time around her class schedule, and even beyond that, Sonja was dating Anke's best friend. 

She still wasn't entirely sure how that worked. Karla Sorenson was loud and brash, with a quick temper and a hot tongue (in more ways than one). She and Anke had been friends since childhood, dated for one very brief, memorable summer when they were fifteen and learning all the wonderful things girls could do together, before deciding they were much better as friends than lovers. 

They'd met Sonja Eiriksen their senior year of high school when she transferred in from another school. She was sharp and glittery and cold as ice; many a foolish flirting boy had been impaled by her unforgiving glare and the slight, derisive tilt of her pointed chin. Karla had fallen head-over-heels in puppy-love with her, and Anke had winced and braced for Sonja to send Karla crashing back to earth _hard_. 

Instead, when Karla had clumsily asked her out, Sonja had tilted her head in consideration, flipped her silvery braid over her shoulder, and agreed. 

In the intervening years, Sonja had become Anke's friend just as surely as Karla was. The couple occasionally took it upon themselves to drag Anke along on outings, which she supposed she was grateful for. And Sonja had some sort of a sixth sense for being able to tell when Anke was feeling particularly lonely, pulling her along to her and Karla's bed, both of them curling in to kiss her and ease the empty ache. 

The secret truth was that Sonja was only icy to people she thought were idiots. She and Anke had a special sort of friendship built on mutual disdain for most of humanity and eye-rolling at every time Karla put her foot in her mouth. 

So it was a little bit startling to see Madi call out to Sonja, and for Sonja to _smile_ in return. It bode very well for Madi, and _that_ thought set off a small herd of butterflies in Anke's stomach. 

"You took my recommendation," Sonja said, probably for Anke's benefit more than anyone else's. She crossed over to set her bag down behind the counter and shrug out of her coat, meeting Anke's perplexed stare. "Madi's in a lot of my classes. She was telling me she wanted to cheer up a friend." 

"So you recommended us." A smile tugged at Anke's lips, even as she made a mental note and highlighted it bright orange. Sonja was in nursing school, far enough in her coursework that anyone she shared multiple classes with almost _had_ to be in a medical field too. "Advertising on your own time, I knew I liked you." 

Sonja rolled her eyes, though there was a faint smile on her lips too. For a moment they fell into familiar silence; Sonja hanging up her coat in the back room and Anke fussing over the final few details of the arrangement. It was probably closer to a thirty-dollar arrangement than a twenty-dollar one, and she dearly hoped Sonja wouldn't notice and comment. She was just about to tell Madi it was ready to go when Sonja inadvertently interrupted again, stepping back out into the shop proper. 

"Did Karla tell you she got a job?" 

"Another one?" Anke let the sarcasm bleed heavy into her tone, and was rewarded when Sonja snickered. "Is there a coffee shop she _hasn't_ been banned from barista-ing in? Please tell me she's not in food service." 

"No, and thank god no. She got a job at a bar and spent all evening making puns at me." 

Anke winced. Karla was slowly clawing her way through law school, and her lawyer-related puns were fearsome, horrible things. "Speaking as someone who loves you both dearly, why are you dating?" 

Sonja just shook her head, ducking her head to hide the real smile on her lips, and Anke fought the urge to sigh in jealous longing. Not jealous of either of _them_ , but of what they had. Truly it was a sign of true love to put up with terrible puns. "A bar. Karla in a bar." 

"Yes, and tomorrow's Friday, and her first day, so I told her we'd come along as moral support." 

Anke's lips pressed into a thin line, but she'd already lost. "Karla owes me so many free drinks. I hate bars." 

"You might like this one," Sonja said with a perfectly straight face, and Anke was so wrapped up in her own grumbling that she completely missed the wide-eyed look on Madi's face or the pinch she gave Sonja as she stepped up to pay for her flowers. And Anke, flustered again at Madi's approach and then caught in the transaction, missed the triumphant little gleam in Sonja's eye and the fact that she pulled out her phone to quickly text Karla. 

_Operation Moxie is go._


	2. Chapter 2

"So, are you going to call Madi?" Sonja asked her the next evening on the way to the bar.

Anke gave her a puzzled look. "Why? I finished the arrangement while she was still there." It took her a moment, even with Sonja's exasperated eyeroll. " _Oh_! No, Sonja, I couldn't." 

"I'm fairly sure she's not straight," Sonja was using that calm, matter-of-fact tone that Anke usually appreciated, but right now she only found it maddening. "And I've never heard her talk about a boyfriend or girlfriend." She must have seen the disbelieving look on Anke's face, because she smirked. "Karla came to meet me after class once, and Madi turned bright red and muttered _'Oh no she's hot'_." 

"I'm still not going to call her. She was a customer." 

Sonja sighed loudly, but by then they'd turned the last corner to face the bar and she let the subject drop. They weren't too far from campus, and the building was in good repair and reassuringly non-sleezy-looking. The front of it was fairly closed off, not many windows and only the sign over the door advertising it as Golden Rose Cabaret. 

Anke blinked at the name, but Sonja took firm hold of her arm and pulled her in before she could make too much of a fuss. They paid their cover charge to a surprisingly prim-looking young man wearing a waistcoat and tie, and then Anke made a beeline for the bar. She was expecting to find Karla behind it, but she wasn't. Maybe her shift hadn't quite started yet. 

Anke and Sonja both ordered drinks, and while they waited Anke finally turned around to get a look at the rest of the place. The room was bigger than she had been expecting, tables laid out neatly and comfortable-looking booths lining the walls. The lighting was a touch dim, but overall it looked pretty much like any other bar Anke had been in. 

The one major difference was the stage. It sat against the wall at one end of the room, and the tables were arranged to give everyone a fairly decent view. It wasn't a huge stage by any means, and only a step or two higher than the main floor. 

Anke shrugged and dismissed it. Lots of bars had live music these days. 

(Sonja, watching her face, realized the proverbial other shoe _still_ hadn't dropped, and pulled out her phone to text Karla again.) 

Once their drinks arrived - some sharp and minty cocktail for Sonja, beer for Anke - Sonja led the way to a table. It wasn't directly in front of the stage, but would still have a very good view. Neither of them tolerated small talk on principle, and they saw each other almost every day anyway, so they sat in comfortable silence, both poking around on their phones. 

But it was only a few minutes before the lights began to dim further. Anke looked up, puzzled, as a spotlight came on to illuminate the stage. A hush fell over the room as a woman stepped out, leaning on a crutch. Her left foot and lower leg were in a cast, but somehow that wasn't the most surprising thing about her. She was dressed in a long, bright red dress that glittered with sequins and had a slit in one side all the way up to her hip, showing a _generous_ amount of leg every time she moved. Her hair was pulled up into an elegant twist at the back of her head and fastened with a clip made to look like a bright tiger lily, and if anyone dared get too close to her they'd probably cut themselves on her eyeliner. 

"Bonsoir, mes amies," the woman cooed into the microphone she carried, prompting a smattering of applause from the crowd. "Welcome to the Golden Rose, I am Fleur-de-Lys, your hostess for this evening. Unfortunately, as you can see, I took a little tumble last week and will not be dancing for you tonight." She paused, smiling at the chorus of disappointed noises. "Now now, I know it is the highlight of the week for some of you, and I am very sorry. You shall have to content yourselves with my fine voice serving as hostess for tonight. And I _think_ you might be a little more eager when I tell you we have a brand new dancer tonight. This is her very first set, so please be kind to her." 

She glanced back over her shoulder toward the backstage area, and Anke felt a sudden prickle of premonition. There was _no way_ \- 

A look sideways all but confirmed it. Sonja was leaning forward, her chin propped up on her hand, looking amused and eager all at once. Anke gave a silent groan and drained the last of her drink, signalling one of the waitresses that she would _really_ like another one, please. 

Over the interested murmur of the crowd, Fleur turned back to them and winked. "Now remember, you may yell and cheer as much as you wish, but please do not touch our lovely ladies while they dance. If you wish to tip, you may leave the money on the edge of the stage or give it to Strauss, who is watching the door. Without further ado, ladies and gentlemen, let's start the evening off with a 'bang' and welcome to the stage Valkyrie!" She hobbled off the stage, and despite the fact that no one but Anke and Sonja knew what was coming the crowd broke into wild cheers and applause. 

The music that started up was one of Karla's favorite songs, a symphonic metal piece with lyrics that spoke of wild children who did what they wanted. Karla herself stepped out onto the stage amid thunderous applause, her grin bright and a high flush of excitement on her cheeks. Despite herself, Anke felt her own cheeks flush a little. 

Karla was obviously playing up a 'sexy schoolgirl' angle, wearing a white button-up shirt with a tie and a short, pleated plaid skirt. She had on knee-high black boots to give it a punk vibe and match the music, her short hair gelled up into messy, glittery spikes. But what was killing Anke was the fact that the clothes she was wearing were very close to _the actual high school uniform_ the three of them had worn. 

Anke had been half-thinking she would get up and leave as soon as she realized what was going on, but she found herself entranced instead. It was pretty clear Karla was an inexperienced dancer, but she wasn't _bad_ , and she was clearly enjoying the attention and cheers of the crowd as she slowly undid her tie, running it through her hands and down between her legs before she tossed it aside. The buttons of her shirt came next, teasingly holding it closed even once they were undone. It took the crowd cheering even louder before she finally let it slide off her shoulders, revealing a racy black lace bra. 

Then it was back to being a tease, flipping her skirt up to reveal glimpses of matching black lace, running her fingers teasingly along the waistband as she smirked at the crowd. There must have been a hidden seam in it somewhere, because when the music hit a crescendo she pulled the skirt open and off, tossing it aside with a flourish and leaving her in the lacy bra, a matching thong, and those boots. 

Karla was athletic, had gone for daily runs since junior high and went to the gym far more often than Anke could be bothered to. Her body was toned and muscular in all the right ways, her shoulders broad and thighs firm with muscle, the shadow of abs along her stomach as she raised her arms over her head and arched her back. 

The crowd was loving it, and Karla was feeding off their energy in turn, her grin bright and almost manic. Anke thought she was going to die. She felt flushed and overheated, unable to tear her eyes away from Karla. It took her until halfway through the song before she realized that she was yelling and cheering just as loud as the rest of them. She didn't know if the only reason she was finding it so hot was _because_ Karla was her best friend, but as the music finished and Karla strutted off stage she suspected she was about to find out. 

Sonja looked just as flushed as Anke felt, a warm, proud little smile on her face. Anke eyeballed her. "Moral support?" Sonja shrugged with an unrepentant little grin. 

"Well!" Fleur stepped back onto the stage, fanning herself a bit. Another young woman scurried out beside her and began gathering up the discarded clothes Karla had flung in all directions. "What did you think of our Valkyrie?" She grinned, waiting until the cheers subsided. "She's still a little shy yet, maybe in the next set we can encourage her to lose the bra too, non?" 

(Anke wasn't sure her blood pressure could take that. The waitress set the new beer by her elbow and she drained half of it in one shot.) 

"Our next dancer is an old favorite-" Fleur paused as someone - presumably the dancer in question - screeched 'I'm not old!' from somewhere off stage. The crowd laughed, and Fleur smiled. "A young and vibrant flower of womanhood, our very own Foxy Feathers!" 

The dancer that stepped out, nudging her shoulder affectionately against Fleur's as she passed, was about as visually different from Karla as possible. Her hair was long and pale, more white than Sonja's silver-blond, and her skin was just as pale save where a few scars knicked her here and there. She was wearing a strapless black dress that hugged her curves, and her smile was wicked even as she hid it coyly behind the black-and-white feather boa she was carrying. The music that started was some flirty love song that Anke had never heard before, but it had a strong, bouncey beat. Anke swore it only took one swivel of her hips and a flick of the boa before Foxy had the entire audience wrapped around her littlest finger. 

The reason for both the boa and her stage name became clear once she'd unzipped the dress and let it fall, kicking it aside with the boa still held to strategically cover her entire front. She swiveled to face her back to the crowd, teasingly rubbing the boa along her thighs. Her back and shoulders were covered in intricate tattooed wings, delicate feathers that arched up over her shoulder blades in vibrant parrot reds and blues. 

She finally let the boa drop to the ground amidst whistles and yells of encouragement, and reached up to slowly draw her hair over her shoulder to leave her back bare. She grinned over her shoulder at them, winking as she reached back and unhooked the strapless bra she'd been wearing under the dress. 

Foxy blew a kiss and tossed the bra aside, but then bent down to retrieve the boa and cover up before spinning around to face the crowd again. She outright laughed at the groans of frustration, lowering the boa a little at a time only to clutch it modestly over her breasts again until the music hit its highest note. Then, all bets were off and Foxy tossed her hair back, spreading her arms and somehow shaking her breasts just right so the feathery nipple tassels she was wearing spun full circles. 

The cheering was so loud it almost drowned out the last notes of the song, and it took Anke another couple seconds to realize that her jaw had physically dropped open at the display. 

"I'm doomed," she murmured in the lull as Foxy strolled off stage, and Sonja shot her a triumphant look. 

"Good doomed?" she arched an eyebrow, and Anke could only nod helplessly and take another swallow of beer. God help her, this was _amazing_ , if she could manage not to die from embarrassment. 

"Foxy Feathers, ladies and gentlemen let's give her some more applause." Fleur was back, and the stage kitten running to retrieve the flung bra and dress. "We have one more dancer on our agenda tonight, and then there will be a set break to give everyone a chance to have a smoke, order another drink or run to the bathroom." She paused, smiling at the murmurs of approval from the crowd. "And I shall not leave you in suspense. Our third dancer tonight is another favorite, sweet as syrup until she needs to put her foot down, please welcome to our stage Moxie Maple!" 

Later, Anke would be glad she'd already put her glass down, otherwise she would have choked. She must have made some sound, because Sonja kicked her ankle under the table, but Anke was in too much shock to react much beyond that. 

Because Moxie Maple was Madi. 

Adorable, soft-spoken (but feisty) Madi, strolling into the lights like she owned the whole stage, dressed in a red corset and a lacy thong, with fishnet thigh-highs. Her shoulders and arms were bare, save for a half-sleeve of tattooed red and golden maple leaves strewn across her left upper arm like they'd been blown there by the wind. She was wearing a black lace choker that matched the garters on her thighs, and Anke actually thought she might hyperventilate. 

Madi's - Moxie's - music was faster paced, almost a Celtic fiddling tune as she flashed a bright smile to the crowd and spun immediately into her dance. She had a lot more footwork than either Karla or Foxy had, clearly enjoying the dance for the sake of it as she hopped around the stage, hips shaking and head tilted just _so_ , every movement graceful and beautiful. 

She ran her hands along the firm lines of the corset and down over her hips, nimble fingers playing with the laces along the back, letting the crowd ogle her nearly naked bottom before turning around again to begin unhooking the clasps that ran along the front. She held it closed until she judged that the encouraging cheers were loud enough - or until the music hit a certain cue, Anke wasn't sure. Then she winked and began slowly pulling the corset open, baring a line of skin down her stomach, a glimpse of her bellybutton before she snapped the corset closed again and pivoted to once again give them her back. 

This time she pulled the corset fully open, not that anyone could see anything, shaking her hips enticingly before she tossed the corset aside and _finally_ spun around again. Watching Madi cup her own tits in her hands, nipple tassels and all, the look on her face coy and wicked, Anke decided she could die happy. 

Unfortunately, even if she _had_ been planning to call Madi, she was now way too embarrassed to try. How did you even start that conversation? 'Hi, I saw you almost naked the other night, but do you want to go out for coffee?' Should Anke offer to let Madi see _her_ nearly naked to even the playing field? Was there etiquette to this sort of thing? 

Across the table Sonja snorted into her cocktail and kicked Anke again. "Stop brooding and enjoy the show." 

Anke blinked, and realized she'd zoned out so far she'd somehow completely missed the end of Madi's set. The stage was empty, and the lights had come back up to full so no one tripped during the set break. "I wasn't." 

"You are, you've got that little line between your eyebrows that means you're thinking too hard. You're not going to be weird around Karla now that she's working as a burlesque dancer, are you?" 

"Of course not," Anke frowned, a little stung. "I've probably seen her tits as often as you have, and she's still _Karla_." 

"There you go," Sonja smiled sweetly. "So when you call Madi to ask her out, remember she's just a person, and this is just something she has fun doing. No different than that time I came over and found you in a sports bra and shorts, covered in dirt and sweat because you were weeding for Karla's mom." 

"It was June, I'd have taken off the bra too if I could've gotten away with it. I thought you were gonna die, though." 

Sonja rolled her eyes, but looked fondly amused at the memory. "To be fair, I hadn't known you that long. I was a tiny baby gay and your cleavage caused a crisis." 

The tension in Anke's shoulders was beginning to unknot, which was probably exactly what Sonja had intended. She sighed, kicking Sonja's foot under the table gently in liu of actual thanks. "I'm going to grab a smoke before the next set. If the waitress comes by, get me another beer, would you?" 

"Sure thing," Sonja waved her off, and Anke grabbed her jacket to duck outside. 

(While she was gone, she missed the dancers circulating around the room, wearing long-ish button-ups that barely reached the tops of her thighs in the case of Foxy and Karla, and a silk day robe in the case of Madi. Madi and Karla both paused to exchange a few words with Sonja, who had to reassure them that she was pretty sure Anke hadn't bolted yet. In contrast to her confidence on-stage, Madi looked just as much a nervous wreck as Anke, and kept casting long glances at her empty seat before she had to go backstage. Karla and Sonja exchanged amused snickers, and Karla blew her a kiss before following after Madi.) 

Anke slipped back into her seat just as the lights were going down again, murmuring a thanks to Sonja for the new beer presented to her. There was another minute or two of pause as the last of the stragglers finished their conversations and found their seats, and then Fleur stepped out again. She was carrying a stool this time though, which she perched on to spare her broken ankle. 

Regular patrons must have known what was coming, because there was a smattering of applause and a few whistles. She smiled and blew a kiss as the first notes of Edith Piaf's _La Vie en Rose_ began to play, and then she sang. 

Her voice was a little husky, warm and full in her native French, practically purring as she reached out to the crowd and held them all spellbound. Anke wondered if she was singing about anyone in particular; something in the softness of Fleur's expression made her think she was. 

The applause at the end of the song was thunderous, and Fleur blew them another kiss. "Merci my dears. Now, I believe we're ready for the second set of the night, are we not?" She glanced over to the backstage area, and must have gotten some sign of confirmation. "Ah bon! We have a special treat for you tonight, mes amis, so please sit back and enjoy." She gave another little bow and then stood, scooping up her stool to limp backstage. 

Once she was clear, the lights shut off completely, leaving the stage in shadows. The music started into the darkness, the first notes of something fast-paced and similar to what Madi had danced to before. But when the lights came up again, both Madi and Foxy Feathers were on stage, standing in positions that mirrored each other. 

They were dressed in matching outfits; backless halter-top dresses, the skirts made of some gauzy fabric with an uneven cut, cinched all the way up to their hip on one side to leave an entire leg bare and falling diagonally to their knee on the other side. They were also wearing long opera gloves, their hair tied up to show off both their tattoos. 

Then they began to dance, and Anke felt her mouth go dry. Their eyes were mostly on each other rather than the whistling audience, their movements mirroring each other, occasionally reaching out to brush hands or hips, and as the song went on they got closer. 

Finally Foxy reached out, broke the mirroring as she caught Madi around the waist, reeling her in. Madi arched into her as the crowd _really_ went wild, and Anke's stomach clenched from equal parts arousal and a bizarre sort of baseless jealousy. 

_'Fuck,'_ she thought through the flush on her cheeks. _'I'm way too gay for this.'_

Foxy smirked, leaning down to press a kiss to the inside of Madi's elbow as she peeled one of Madi's gloves off, then the other. Madi arched again, then spun out of Foxy's grip with a teasing laugh. Foxy huffed, but grinned, taking hold of her own gloves and peeling them off with her _teeth_ while Madi let out an encouraging wolf-whistle. 

Then they were together again, swaying in time to the music as Madi hooked one leg up around Foxy's hips and leaned back, spine and neck in a glorious arch and breasts straining against the gauzy material of her dress. Foxy licked her lips and winked at the crowd before reaching forward to pop the clasp at the back of Madi's neck, pulling the front of her dress down to expose the round, white-sequined pasties that only barely covered her nipples. 

Madi gasped, affecting outrage as she swung upright and away from Foxy again. She shook her finger in mock scolding even as she reached down to undo the snaps holding the dress closed at her hip so she could lose it completely, leaving her in a white thong that matched the pasties. She did a little spin, shaking her breasts at the whooping crowd, then crooked a finger at Foxy to beckon her closer. 

The grin on Foxy's face said she knew exactly what she was in for, but she swaggered closer anyway. Madi reached out and hooked her fingers in the strap of Foxy's dress, but instead of unhooking it she pulled Foxy closer and caught her in a kiss. 

(Anke thought she felt her heart stop.) 

The crowd predictably _screamed_ , and Madi broke the kiss with a laugh even as Foxy nipped at her lower lip. Her nimble fingers darted back to unclasp Foxy's dress and pull it away, leaving her in gold versions of Madi's thong and pasties. 

They stepped away from each other again, going back to mirroring each others' steps for the catcalling crowd. Somewhere in the back of her mind, Anke noticed again that she was screaming and cheering just as loud as everyone else, and wondered what it was about the atmosphere that was so contagious. The energy was so high, it was... well, it was fun, now that she was _finally_ starting to get over her embarrassment. It helped a little to think of it as art, and a hobby. Clearly Madi and Foxy were both having fun, the fact that they were almost naked was... an added bonus. Or something. 

They ended up back-to-back, their arms raised, and then they both almost collapsed in laughter, waving and blowing kisses to the crowd as they headed backstage. Right before they disappeared, Foxy reached over and pinched Madi's ass, making her squeak and jump and smack Foxy's shoulder. 

Anke bit her lip as a new thought occurred to her. The way they were acting, clearly familiar and comfortable with each other... It was entirely possible Foxy and Madi were already dating, and Madi had just never had reason to mention it to Sonja. Would it be rude to ask Madi out anyway, since she didn't know for sure? But then again, if it was Anke she would _hate_ being put on the spot to turn someone down... 

She was so busy fretting that she completely zoned out through Karla's next dance, only getting a vague impression of a leather bikini and Sonja yelling something that was probably shockingly filthy in Norwegian and almost making Karla trip. 

"...Hey, earth to Anke? Hello?" Sonja nudged her ankle again, and Anke finally blinked and looked up. 

The lights had come up again for the next set break, and Karla was standing beside their table looking incredibly amused. "Hi." 

"...Hi. A little warning of what I was walking into might have been nice." Anke tried to give them both a dirty look, but it didn't really work and Karla grinned. "I assumed you were going to be the bartender." 

"Pfff," Karla laughed. "It would take someone literally murdering him for Lovino to leave his post, I swear. But he shares his tips with us if we show him our nips, so it works out." Sonja's eyes narrowed at that, and Karla laughed harder. 

In hindsight, Anke really wasn't surprised she seemed so taken with this job. 

"Um, I hope I'm not interrupting..." 

Anke felt like someone had just dumped a bucket of hot water over her, and she twisted in her seat so fast she almost gave herself whiplash. Madi was standing behind her, smiling shyly and holding her silk robe a little more firmly closed than she had earlier. Which was slightly ridiculous, considering Anke had been watching both her dances, but then it dawned on Anke that she was acting shy because this was _Madi_ , not Moxie, and life made more sense again. 

"Hi-" Anke cleared her throat and tried again, knowing she was blushing and trying to ignore Sonja and Karla snickering at them. "Uh, hi." 

"I hope you're enjoying the show?" Madi's shy smile grew when Anke nodded enthusiastically. "I'm glad. Oh, and Fleur wants to meet you after the show. She loved the flowers and said she wanted to ask you about some arrangements for her house." 

"I'd be happy to. Um..." Anke stopped, unsure how to go on. 

Luckily, Sonja and Karla had known her a long time. Sonja cleared her throat, catching Madi's attention. "She's freaking out because she thinks you might be dating Foxy Feathers." 

"I..." Madi looked blank for a moment, then blinked. Then she seemed to relax all at once and broke into giggles, turning to yell to where Foxy was harassing the long-suffering doorman. "Hey featherbrain, come here!" 

Foxy looked up, then ruffled Strauss' hair and sauntered over, smirking at his cry of dismay from behind her. "What up? Fans?" 

"Maybe," Madi was still giggling, and gestured at Anke. "She wants to know if we're dating." 

Foxy blinked, then made a face. "Oh, ew. No offence, but ew." 

Madi looked amused, fortunately, and Anke got the feeling this was Foxy's usual personality. "Foxy and I have known each other since we were kids. We're very good friends, obviously, but not dating." 

"You do not have enough dick to be in a serious relationship with me," Foxy rolled her eyes over toward Strauss, and Madi snorted. 

"I'm not sure you'd call _that_ a relationship either." 

Oh. Anke felt relief wash through her, like every knot of tension was releasing all at once. It was like her and Karla, then. _Exactly_ like her and Karla, considering the number of times they'd gotten drunk and made out with Sonja's express encouragement. 

That was fine, then. 

"Do you want to go get coffee sometime?" she blurted out, interrupting Madi and Foxy's bickering. 

"Eh? _Eh_?" Madi turned red, eyes going wide. She looked really nice all made up, but Anke thought she'd looked nice the day before too, wearing minimal make-up and her glasses instead of contacts. Foxy burst out into delighted, cackling laughter and gave Madi an encouraging smack on the shoulder. "Like a date?" 

"Yes, like a date, if you want." Anke knew her cheeks were burning, but fought to keep her expression neutral, her eyes on Madi. 

Slowly, like the sun coming out from behind clouds, Madi smiled. "Okay." Before it could quite sink in, she tucked her hair behind her ear and leaned down to press a kiss to Anke's cheek, leaving a perfect red-purple lipstick print. "Okay, that sounds great." 

"Hey, this is adorable, but we gotta get backstage, there's still another set to do." Foxy tugged on Madi's arm and tossed Anke a wink. "You'll like this one, Mox has bunny ears and a little cottonball tail." 

Madi beamed at the broken look on Anke's face, and Karla and Sonja calmly bumped fists. 

Success.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not sure how this ended up at nearly 7000 words of poor Anke having a series of gay heart attacks, but there we go. =w=
> 
> If it wasn't fairly obvious from the text, Fleur-de-Lys is Fem!France, Foxy Feathers is Fem!Prussia and Strauss is Austria. The Golden Rose Cabaret is owned by one Arthur Kirkland, who has a... _thing_ going on with Fleur. Best not to ask. I didn't have _specific_ songs in mind for any of the dances, but I had Within Temptation and Sabaton playing while writing Karla's, and Lindsay Sterling while writing Foxy and Madi's.
> 
> I want to give a huge shoutout to Capital Tease in Ottawa, as well as my good friend Christie. I've wanted to see a burlesque show in person for ages and never quite gotten around to it, and writing this story finally gave me the kick I needed to go. Christie was a darling friend who kept the Canuck and I from dying from embarrassment, and the ladies of Capital Tease were absolutely _sensational_. I can't wait to go to another show.


End file.
